Problems with 2011 Chevrolet Malibu ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start upon attempting to turn the key in the ignition. wood motor company (600 us-62, harrison, ar 72601, (870) 741-8211) indicated that there was an internal electrical and engine failure that required diagnostic testing. the dealer stated that the repair may be extensive. the dealer indicated that the timing chain, gear, belt, and valves within the engine assembly may need to be replaced. the dealer also stated that the pistons had not been firing at the right time and there was an internal meltdown of the dashboard area. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 105,000.

While traveling at a slow speed (betw 10-20 mph) on 3/20/17, the car started to shake, the service esc message light turns on, and service traction control light turns on (with message that car will power down). so, if i pull over to the side of the road and shut the car off (before it shuts down on it's own), wait 2 minutes for the computer to reset, then get rpm up quick (so the speed is quickly above the 20 mph), then it is wouldn't do it and i could get it to the mechanic. when the mechanic went to check it, the battery was dead, so no luck with computer scan. he put in new battery. so i drove it and it did it again. i took it to the mechanic and he checked it and he replaced the gas pedal (computer code indicated a bad sensor). however, it did not take care of the issue. brand new battery and still draining battery (overnight). mechanic thinks a relay may be staying open somewhere however isn't sure. currently not drivable due to the shaking and that service esc and service traction control messages come on with statement that vehicle will power down (while driving). first occurred on 3/20/2017 and is still occurring 4/20/2017 (mechanic hasn't been able to fix)! been dealing with a slow battery drain since purchased car in july 2016. if didn't drive car for 5 days, battery would be dead (4th day was still ok). then in march 2017, other issue started and the battery drain became much worse. now brand new battery and will drain completely dead overnight. huge electrical issue. car has 85,000 miles on it.

The engine starts to sputter , check engine light and other dash lights come on and vehicle quits running . had it in chevrolet garage and no code showed up they replaced a sensor told me it was fixed . problem returned , this has happened several times and still exists. very dangerous. never know when it is going to stall out.

About a year ago i was driving car going around 40 miles an hr and it would just die on me, no lights came up no warning. it happened at least 6 times and every time it happened it had it towed to dealership to get checked out. i've had fuel pump, fuel relay, cam shaft sensor 2 times and other things replaced. still same thing would happen. died again on me had it towed to a garage and my timing chain was broken, replaced that and cam shaft sensor again. drove away and it died on me again. the only way my car stays running is when cam shaft sensor is unplugged but engine light stays on. when car dies i have no lights that come on to tell me i have a issue, it just shuts off. i've been dealing with the car just shutting down on me for a year. i'm afraid to have other people in my car cause i don't know if or when it would happen again. when this happened i had around 92000 mile on car.

The dashboard seat belt light goes on and off. the radio at times goes silent. the headlights keep going off and having to replace. the ecm or ecu has went out. and the check engine light is one. on this while the car is on, driving and stationary.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the headlights turned off and on independently five times within the last two years. in addition, the power door locks would lock and unlock while the contact was driving. the contact planned on taking the vehicle to bayway chevrolet (5719 broadway st, pearland, tx 77581, (281) 606-0465) for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was notified and stated that there were no recalls for the failures. the failure mileage was 113,312.

I was driving in the highway and my malibu stopped and appeared the image of traction control off and the motor was shaking and my light of check engine was on and my car did not advance more then 10 miles. *tr

Tail lights stopped working, but break lights work, radio will change on its own from tuner to aux, dash doesnt stay illuminated, power locks and windows dont always work. doesnt matter if its being driven or sitting. checked fuses they are all good.

Drove car this morning and couple miles later the car lost most of its power and service esc lights became illuminated as well as engine light too. now car is slower and shaking violently when accelerating. also shakes real bad when stationary. driving around 35-45 mph. can't drive now due to lost power and esc issues/ looks like it is a common historic issue with these malibu as internet is polluted with complaints about it and looks like gm can't find problem. as well gm tells me on the phone just now that my vin number is not part of any recall notice while the problems go back to 2003 and covers every other malibu except mine it appears. really? bought is local as a pre owned vehicle with only about 30k on it. sounds like gm is trying to skirt the issue of owning up to the problem. they have me on hold for some time now. help! *tr

In last 12 to 14 months to include today, the low beam headlight on passenger side has gone out. it has been repaired twice and now looking at a third time. i want to say this is an electrical issue as the last time it went out, sometimes it would come back on if i hit a bump. i will be getting it serviced again as not having a headlight working is a danger. the reason i am contacting nhtsa is i have talk to and read of multiple people having the same issue.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while attempting to use the low beam headlights, the contact noticed that the lights were not illuminated. the contact stated that the bulbs needed to be replaced more than usual. the contact also mentioned that the turn signal indicators were blinking erratically. the vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer where the contact was informed that the bulbs needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. also, while inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the wiring harness was melted and emitted a burning odor. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. the failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

The headlights keep going out on this vehicles , have replaced them several times and they just keep going out. my aunt has the same make , model car as i do and she has the same problems.

Fire in trunk started at rear fuse panel. driving at 35 mph in drizzle, trunk ajar message lit, stopped to check it & engine stalled as i pulled off the road, found the trunk securely latched, and couldn't open it with key fob or button in cabin. then saw paint turning brown (scorching) at rear corner panel at location of rear fuse panel. by the time fire dept. arrived the cabin and trunk fully engulfed - total loss. *tr

Battery light coming on. dealership diagnose bad alternator. installed new alternator. two weeks passed, all dashboard lights come on, lost power steering, while driving. car towed in. dealership found fusible link burnt on alternator, which caused first alternator to go bad. $25.00 part.

My car has been having problems all year. i called and spoke with someone who in return was suppose to call cannon motors in oxford,ms to have the front head light on the driver side fixed because it was on recall. my father has replaced it 3 times and it keeps going out so the car was taken to cannon today and now its a different story. they was talking about charging 75.00 then they changed it to 500.00 to fix a headlight. i know the is an electrical problem going on with my car.

Please consider the complaints of same issue on the link bellow. the malibu has an manufacture defect of head light, thy constant burn and go off, sometimes it burns the bulb and sometimes the socket. i replaced the bulbs and socket over 6 times in 8 months. there is over thousands complaints of exactly same issue online on car complaint sites as people are not aware where to report and chevy ignore us as they are aware of the thousands complains. the headlight going off is a hazards and i already got pulled over 4 months after replaced the head light when it went off without i realize it. it is an electrical issue with a bad defect . to replace it one needs to take the car apart and entire bumber off it is outrageous expense to replace a $8 dollar bulb, please consider the complaints on this 2 web sites as to make chevy recall it and fix on malibus of 2009 to 2013. https://www.carcomplaints.com/chevrolet/malibu/2009/lights/headlight_wiring_shorted_out.shtml https://www.chevymalibuforum.com/forums/6-problems-service-issues-troubleshooting-generation-7/25313-headlight-burns-out-continuously.html

Power steering failed while driving. this happened in a curved part of the highway at ~45 mph. was able to make the drive home which was ~2 miles. restarted the car at home and everything worked fine until 5 days later - same problem. service esc and power steering illuminated on dash.

I have been experiencing issues with my 2011 chevy malibu. i was driving down the road when suddenly the motor started violently shaking and the dashboard information display would flash, "engine power reduced, service esc, service traction control, air bag lights and check engine light came on". this was an intermittent issue, it can sometimes go weeks/months without issues, but then out of nowhere it will start happening again. sometimes shutting the car off, waiting a few moments, and restarting would usually get it running correctly again. however, other times it will remain for several days. the issue has been becoming more frequent and staying longer as time goes on. when i started seeing the issue i looked up online to see if other people were seeing similar issues and found hundreds of people with the same year, make, model car having the same exact issue. i have seen issues started at 50k miles and up, but mine started doing this at approximately 72k miles. this issue has almost caused me to get in several accidents, and i believe this should be recalled as this is a major problem. here are some of the websites at which i found people sharing their stories of the same exact issue. [xxx] i have included a couple of images of a couple of the dash messages please help the most recent incident occurred 05/07/2016 but has been happening intermittently for a year or two, it started at 72542 miles but most recent happened at approximately 92k thank you *tr parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *cc

Good morning the complaints are going for over 3 years, and chevy is ignoring us all . i also complain direct to them and they play dumb ref chevy malibu 2011 why isnt chevy having a re call on the head lights issue of the malibu?? it is a safety hazard. over 80% of malibu owners are complaining and registering complaints on the constant burning of the headlights and headlight socket of a malibu i replaced mine 4 times over 8 months, the cost is outrageous and the time out of our work and lives is even more aggravate. chevy is aware of it and is choosing to do nothing and let us pick up the cost of a "defective" item in the car. i appreciate if chevy could refund it and fix it at no cost right now, as i already got pulled over by cops due to it stop working 1 month after i had replaced. thank you people do not know the proper site of dot to complain so they do here in this sites.. please consider their complaints and make chevy do a recall on the headlights as it is a safety issue https://www.carcomplaints.com/chevrolet/malibu/2009/lights/headlight_wiring_shorted_out.shtml https://www.chevymalibuforum.com/forums/6-problems-service-issues-troubleshooting-generation-7/25313-headlight-burns-out-continuously.html

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving 40 mph, all the warning lights on the instrument panel illuminated. the contact mentioned that the failure recurred intermittently. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

Car when started steering wheel locks up all the lights start flashing, locks start to unlock and lock themselves. engine lines comes on hard to move forward or backwards.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving 65 mph, the air bag warning light remained illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the air bags needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

Received messages of: service esc, service traction, service air bag, eng pwr reduced, engine disabled this morning while driving to work. engine lost all power, had to pull to side of road to try and turn the engine off and on, until i received the engine disabled message and after that the car would not start. had to have the car towed to nearest dealership.

First, i had to jump the car to start it. cold morning but the battery was only 3 months old. driving from downriver mi area all expressway to grand rapids. just entered grand rapids area when i had to reduce speed from 75 to 60. car would not accelerate back to original speed. cruise control had been engaged. problem resolved itself but 15 minutes later the car went from 75 to 25 mph by the time i had exited the freeway and stopped the car. the car would not accelerate and the pedal was to the floor. the traction control light went on as did messages:reduced engine power, service esc, and the check engine light went on. the engine light stayed on. i was able to turn car back and accelerate but the check engine light stayed on and the engine felt like it chugged a bit. when i stopped at intersections, the car felt as if it wanted to stall. mileage is 88,258.

I am having problems with the esc the service esc light keeps turning on and the car starts to jerk and they say mine isn't in recall but other chevy malibus are from the year 2003-2012 i thi they need to look into this further because mine is 2011 but not in the recall

The driver's side body seam of my 2011 chevy malibu was not properly sealed. this allowed water to leak into my electrical panel cause corrosion to all of my wiring. i determined this after driving down a high way at 60 mph and having my car drop down to 10 mph with service engine lights, engine power reduced warnings all lighting up my panel. it had been raining that day. i am lucky that the car behind me was following an appropriate amount of distance behind me. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. when the igniton key was turned, a loud clicking nose emitted and the engine failed to respond. in addition, the front driver and passenger side power door locks activated independently. the rpm gauge and speedometer fluctuated continuously. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 62,000.

30 minute drive to work, in rain at approximately 32 degrees, vehicle was running good until i pulled into a parking spot and an error message appeared (reduced engine power). i later left and the service engine light remained on. i then received an error message (service esc) and later again received the (reduced engine power) while on the highway. it was snowing during this time. i was unable to fully accelerate but it felt as though the acceleration was not running well. i researched this issue and discovered many people/ chevy malibu owners having the same issue with no resolution; even after taking to dealer on many occasions. gm needs to recognize this issue and discover a resolution.

My 2011 malibu while on the highway through a sensor code for multiple problems the first stating reduced engjne power, then service es, service traction, service airbags etc... probably 8 codes. at which point on the highway i could no longer accelerate above 40mph creating a very dangerous situation for me. the car was jerking and shaking and the rpm was reving up between 500 and 1500 even after i stopped. i turned the car off fearing damage to the engine and called myhusband. he asked me turn it on again so i did and although it was now idling normally the engine light remained on. he suggested i continue my commute. i pulled back on to the highway and experienced this same dangerous problem 7 yimes between jackson mi and lansing mi. we took it in to a repairshopand they assessedwhat they could stating that it appeared to be a throttle body issue but they would have to take it apart to look at it. the mechanic also statedthat many of the chevy made vehicles have had this problem and he was very surprised that therehad not yet been a recall on the part.

After reading the many many comments here, i can say i'm lucky. fortunately, i was not driving my car when things went haywire. i returned home from work today and my vehicle was fine. i had to run a few errands but when returning to my vehicle, i noticed this: vehicle wouldn't start. fast clicking sound when attempting to turn over. doors locked and unlocked by themselves during this time. service esc, service traction, and esc off appeared. vehicle has yet to start and now have no power whatsoever throughout the vehicle. very odd that this is not a current recall. help?'

Car lost power at 65 mph than reduced power and engine light came on turn car off after trying to coast to ta stop with cars and trucks flying by honking there horn and flicking me off and i was helpless the cars motor was shut off because of the power reduce and esc than the traction control can on too all need to be serviced fine but than it did it all again after i got everything fixed and then the throttle body had to replaced again and peddle sensor and traction control sensor and still does it the car is trying to kill me and the new mechanic i took it to said he sees this a lot and its sometimes hard to fix because it comes back and than i read online the same thing i thought he was trying to get more money out of me why wont chevrolet help gm help government needs to step in and make these car places fix this stuff befor a lot of people get killed

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the rear window defroster failed. while attempting to replace the fuse, it was discovered that the fuse melted into the fuse panel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. the contact was informed that the fuse panel needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

Rear defrost stopped working - cables and fuse melted.

I recently noticed that my rear brake light in the back window was flickering on and off. then my rear defroster stopped working. i decided to check the fuses in the rear fuse box. i then realized the fuse for the rear defroster was completely melted and other fuses were also burnt. upon calling gm, they told me to take it to a dealership to figure out the problem. the dealership told me that the fuse panel is burnt out, and that i need a new fuse panel, relay,connecter(five leads),connecter(two leads), 10 amp fuse, and a 30 amp fuse. a problem that the dealership told me happens a lot. upon calling gm back with the news. they told me they would not cover the repair.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving 15 mph, all the warning lights illuminated and the vehicle began to lose power. the contact also stated that the power steering seized intermittently. the failure was recurring. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

The hvac resistor is malfunctiong, ongoing issue with numerous products, the resistor malfunctions and creates a small fire a shorts out the resistor melts the harness that attaches to the resistor. vehicle was stationary and after refueling hvac blower no longer worked.

2011 chevrolet malibu. consumer writes in regards to electric power steering recall notice. *smd the consumer stated the rear fuse block and circuit had to be replaced. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving at 55 mph, the esc warning light illuminated. suddenly, the diminishing engine power and traction control warning lights illuminated and the vehicle would not accelerate. the contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond. the vehicle was shut off and restarted; however, the service engine warning light remained illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure recurred. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 54,000. updated 1/15/16 *cn the consumer stated the vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted.*js

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving at approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled. the contact noticed that there was smoke coming from the vehicle and then the vehicle caught fire. the contact mentioned that the fire initiated on the trunk near the fuse box. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. the vehicle was also included in nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v269000 (seat belts) and 14v252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control) but the remedy was not available for several months. the approximate failure mileage was 119,000.

August 12 2015, complete power loss while driving. vehicle went into logic lockup. all modules reset. august 17, same condition occurs. total system failure at 70 mph on highway. dealership determined "internal fault in engine control module p0606. ecm replaced. september 6 same situation occurs on highway; complete power failure. vehicle towed to dealership again and currently being tested. complete failure of system is extremely dangerous and unconscionable for a 2011 vehicle!

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving various speeds, the vehicle shook violently and the esc and traction control warning indicators remained illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control). the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 125,333.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the anti theft warning light illuminated as the vehicle hesitated to start. the contact mentioned that smoke started to emit from the engine compartment. after inspecting the vehicle, she noticed that smoke and unknown fluid were bubbling out of the battery. the dealer was contacted, who stated that the failure was due to a shortage within the battery. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 65,000.

My son noticed smoke coming from under the seat in the car and the ac stopped working. i called gm and got a case number 71-1497728137 and was told since it was a safety issue they would make an appointment and try to offset some of the cost. i told them the exact miles at the time, someone from gm called me and was working on the case, told me he would cordinate with the dealership. well i got all done, no help. the blower motor relay had melted along with some of the wires under the dash and were repaced by royal chevrolet. the cost was 473.98 for the repair and of course after the repair was completed gm told me they could not do anything and royal chevrolet called and said there were to many miles for them to do anything with the cost. i told gm that was disclosed up front when i first explained the issue and got assigned a case number. it is very deceptive on there end, this should have just been said on the initial call.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the wiring harness failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 99,500. the vin was not available.

I was driving an my power steering went out in a large curve. 8 had to have the car towed but luckily was not injured. gm recently sent out an "extended warranty" on th power steering module only. this was replaced. in may of 2014 gm sent out recall 13036 that included my car. this recall is not pulling up on my vin. the letter stated that parts were not yet available for a fix. i have lights and bells that my electronic stability control is not working. they found at yhe dealer that at least once i have had a brake error. in the recall letter it states that the brake lights may function when i am not braking or they may not function when i am. i am afraid to drive my own car! please push for a resolution to this recall.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle shook violently and the service electronic stability control, service traction, and engine power reduced warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 109,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that the speedometer light did not illuminate when it was operated, the vehicle did not register the fob key when attempting to unlock the vehicle and the tire pressure indicator functioned abnormally. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v269000 (seat belts); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the failure mileage was approximately 53,000.

I own a 2011 chevrolet malibu. the air bag warning lamp illuminates & says to service air bag. the vehicle was brought into a gm repair shop several month ago & they could not fix it. it went off for a while & now it's back on. it was not diagnosed or repaired.

Driver's door will not close and latch properly or unlock/unlatch to open. this has started occurring frequently. there are many complaints regarding door latch mechanism failures that dealers are more than willing to fix for hundreds of dollars. i feel this is a safety issue, as each time the car is started, it is a gamble, as to whether the door will latch, or unlatch, properly, as needed. if this vehicle is involved in an accident, i am not confident that the door will open, even if it is an undamaged one, due to the failing lock/latch mechanism. i am replacing this at my cost but feel that the manufacturer bears responsibility for faulty parts/design. thankfully, no one in my family has been injured, yet. i fear that this could be an issue during times of great stress that can and will lead to fatalities, if left unaddressed.

Fuel pump failed(stopped working completely) while parked at the community center. luckily i was not driving when this occurred. this is as serious an issue as the ignition switch problem if not more so. i,see more complaints about the same problem, and they are driving at the time of failure. cars should not be having this many fuel pump issues at the time they are occurring. the problem is compounded when the vehicle runs poorly and is misdiagnosed for another problem and unnecessary repair. please make gm acknowledge this problem. *tr